


rediscovery

by straypunk



Series: Magenta Universe [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Max has had it Rough, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Steven Universe: The Movie, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Swearing, Takes place during Steven Universe Future, Trust Issues, not beta read we die like men, self-deprecation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22031683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/straypunk/pseuds/straypunk
Summary: noun"the action or process of discovering again something that was forgotten or ignored."What do you get, when a lapis who's supposed to be better than the rest—the ultimate terraformer—emergeswithouthydrokinesis abilities?You get Max.Takes place after chapter 18 of"I have always known you."
Series: Magenta Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585786
Comments: 5
Kudos: 62





	1. we'll cast some light, and you'll be alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The general consensus in my other fic, ["I have always known you,"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21403783/chapters/50992282) is that a lot of people like my royal lazuli, Max :'D I had already wanted to write some shamelessly self indulgent snippets for her, ever since I came up with her concept, so this is mostly just me playing around with her character in different scenarios.  
> You won't necessarily have to have read "I have always known you," in order to enjoy this fic!

Gems are beings hardwired for specific tasks. What is a gem without a purpose?

She's hardly a lapis lazuli—let alone a _royal_ lazuli—if she can't bend water to her will.  
  
Corrupting herself may be the only way to confirm she's still a _gem._

It's pitiful, and terrible, and selfish of her, but Diopside—her saviour, her clarity, her _whatever_ —has finally gone too far. The burly green gem hardly knows what she wants these days, and trying to entice the Diamonds into going back to their old ways by _kidnapping_ the new Pink Diamond is sheer _fucking_ _lunacy,_ even though Max doesn't say anything against it.

So she picks up the bubblegum-hued blade she had to take from the human girl, slings her shiny metal baseball bat onto her shoulder, and slashes her way into Diopside's arena.

The subway tunnel-turned-hideout has become a morally gray 'home' for her, and this fighting pit is practically her bed. She spends enough time in this stupid, wretched place, after all. Fight after fight, round after round, beating humans and monsters alike senseless, while spectators bet on her and _cheer._

No one's going to be cheering, this time.

The lapis' primary goal is not focused on aiding the human that was forced into the pit. That just happens to be an incidental side effect of her plan. She swings and screams at the lizardish-stone-golem thing and forces it back. It roars and snarls, but Max just bares her teeth in a wicked grin.

She struggles the beast into a headlock, after whacking it over the snout. Max has never actually fused before—which is a little odd, considering her intimate relationship with her _saviour_ —but something instinctual takes hold of her.

Her ugly, misshapen gem glows so bright, visible to all, even under her denim jacket. She casts a look toward the highest seat in the house, and gives Diopside a wolfish grin. This fusion is going to crush her to dust, and Max will finally be free of her existence-long debt.

The fusion is messy. Max has the reins, but she and the monster's mutual hatred for the green gem _fuel_ the new being. For a few seconds, at least. That human girl is front of them, telling them that she can't let Max do this to herself—that she could hurt someone _innocent._

The girl who would die for her Diamond, is not wrong.

And that fact hurts, when it never did before.

Everything gets... _fuzzy_ , after that...

She drowns, and she keeps drowning, water that she can't control suffocating her—even though she never had, or needed lungs in the first place. A frantic creature keeps her under the waves, sinking its' teeth into her neck. Static, static, _nothing but hazy static,_ _primal teeth, and fins._

Clawing, biting, screaming, nothing works.

Can't get out, can't swim up, she's going to keep drowning and drowning and drowning, until there's nothing left but these scales and fins and teeth—

And then there's nothing, for a while.

Weightlessness.

When Max finally _does_ come back to awareness, everything is unfocused. She picks a hasty new outfit as she reforms—a midriff-tanktop and pants are the first things that comes to mind, so she rolls with it—and the physical world is a jarring no-thank-you sensation as she falls onto her back.

Her hand grips something cold—smooth, shiny, the rim of a bathtub—and the lapis blinks up at the ceiling. A showerhead stares back at her, and _guilt_ hits Max like a truck.

She very well could've killed the kids that rescued her, _selfish, stupid, immoral,_ and then she'd be stuck as the component of a feral fusion for the rest of her days. But that's not how it went down, of course. Instead, Max spends the next several hours with Pink Diamond and his human friend Connie.

They talk. They talk for a while, at least until she realizes that her _ugly,_ off-cut gem is exposed, and that it's _been_ exposed this whole time, and she nearly has a stupid _,_ unnecessary meltdown in front of the kids. But the Diamond is patient when he really shouldn't be, speaks softly when he should actually berate her, and then he gives her a temporary-replacement-jacket that matches the one he's currently wearing.

Connie doesn't know where Max's old one went, and says it disappeared when the lapis fused with the corrupted gem. Stupid thing probably got shredded along with her organic _pants_...

Human clothing is utterly unreliable, but that fact doesn't take away the comfort she feels from wearing the thing.

**//**

The Diamond—Steven, his name is _Steven_ —stands in front of a humble archway, all grins and enthusiasm. " _Annnd_ this is Little Homeworld! If you'd like, Connie and I could give you a tour—or you could just explore on your own, after we set you up with a place to stay."

The drive to get here was pleasant enough, and the settlement seems friendly upon first glance, but Max's hackles refuse to settle. "Uh, yeah—a tour would be cool."

Steven smiles and nods, but there's some knowing flicker in his eyes. Can the Diamond read her emotions, or even her thoughts? Is that one of his abilities? Max doesn't really get a chance to ask, as the boy spins on his heel, and crosses the threshold.

Might as well follow suit.

Connie seems fairly awestruck by the settlement, voicing how impressed she is with it's completion multiple times. She banters with Steven as the two show Max around a greenhouse, a forge, the square, and then various apartments to choose from. The two introduce her to a few gems—namely one Bismuth that Max may or may not already have a big, stupid, definitely-will-not-last-very-long crush on—but they keep it to a minimum. The kids must not want to overwhelm, her... how thoughtful of them.

It shouldn't be _weird_ seeing them in their natural environment, it really shouldn't.

"So, Max—" Steven says, as the three walk up the stairs of another building. "—You don't have to answer this, but, I'm curious. Why do you like wearing organic clothing?"

Instinct says to bristle and bark, so Max does. "Why do _you?"_

The teen gives her a soft laugh, unintimated as he and Connie stops on the landing. "Because I like being modest—plus, a lot of 'em are really comfy."

Max glances off with a wince, a hand reaching up to grip her borrowed jacket's sleeve. "Uh, yeah... makes sense."

Steven looks at her with nothing but sympathy, and it's getting just plain infuriating now. Snapping was uncalled for, but he doesn't have to be so damn _nice_ to her—especially after all the nonsense she was involved in before he officially met her.

Connie gives her a smile, and Max feels something in her core tighten. "It's okay if you don't wanna say, Max—honest."

Neither of them have to be so fucking understanding. They shouldn't be. They should press her for an answer, scold her for being rude, and maybe even toss her out. Instead, Max just nods and continues to follow them onto the next floor.

This apartment building is a pretty, seafoam green-blue, with sandy-cream accents. The whole thing is very 'beachy,' and has some shell and ocean-related decorations scattered around. The trio stop in front of an off-white door, before Steven turns to her.

He bites his lip, and glances off. "Okay, I, ah... I saved this one for last, since it's well—oceany, and, well—"

Take off the damn kid gloves, Diamond. Max can handle it, even if the shells and wave-deco make her a little squeamish. "Water's not a sensitive subject, Steven. This place looks fine."

Max gives him a half-smile, which he studies for a second. Both he and Connie seem satisfied, but... the girl has this look in her eyes. Max just keeps her head down, as Steven opens the door, and they head inside.

The room is sparse, with a single couch, an old television, and a table with two chairs. The walls are a much lighter, muted seafoam, and there's a stripy square rug on the floor. Max blinks and scans the area again, catching sight of a kitchen-area to the right, and a door off to the left that probably leads into a bedroom.

Something in her core _clicks_ , and Max's shoulders untense. She could potentially get used to this setup. It's not too much, but it's not too little. She could decorate if she wanted, or just leave it as is. Max could... _live here._

Connie leans into her line of sight with a grin. "Like what you see?"

Max just nods a little, an uncontrollable little smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, I... I actually do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome home, Max.


	2. the welcoming committee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max meets the Famethyst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Alternative summaries include..._  
>  Local introvert dares to step outside, and suffers expected consequences.  
> Max seriously considers becoming a full-time hermit.

Max spends the next few days holed up in her new apartment.

She doesn't know anyone around here, and she'd rather keep it that way. True solitude actually lets her sleep—she hasn't done _that_ in a while—and the quietness refreshes her down to the core. When was the last time she was actually alone, and not surrounded by soldiers, or glued to Diopside's hip?

She pauses her channel surfing, and winces at the thought.

There isn't much to to, aside from watch TV. She's already binged through the eleven available channels, and is on her third round. She stops on a show about human food, and how it's prepared. It keeps her attention for a half hour, before she goes on another surf. Something about home decor catches her eye, and she watches for a while.

She should take some notes. If only she had any paper or writing tools. She could probably find some in the community center in the square, but... would that be worth the price of her _sweet,_ wonderful solitude?

No. No it wouldn't.

The gem smirks a the idea of scratching ideas into the floor, before she flips to another channel. Some show about a hospital statics in, and she kicks back.

Max's eyes are bleary, when she opens them again. Daylight streams in through her windows, and blankets the apartment.

When did she even fall asleep...?

She shrugs, the soft fabric of her borrowed jacket rustling with the movement. She pads around for the remote, only to discover it on the floor. She aimes it toward the screen, thumb resting on the change-channel button. She blinks as a bright and loud commercial plays, selling some kind of vehicle. A grimace spreads across her face.

The screen flickers off, and she sets the remote down.

There's only so much to do, holed up in her apartment.

Sure, in theory, Max _could_ just channel surf for the next hundred years. It'd be easy to stay in this apartment, and be content with solitude. But the jacket on her shoulders makes the gem wince. She'll need to return it, at some point. So, that means finding a replacement. And a replacement requires finding a human store, with human money, which means finding a job, and holding down that job until—

Uncomfortable silence overtakes the room, and threatens to strangle her.

Max lolls her head back with a loud groan, and mashes a hand through her hair. " _Fuck this._ "

A walk might do her some good. Just a quick one. Nothing too long—just something to clear her head.

The front door practically taunts her, as she gets to her feet. She trudges over, but hesitates when she reaches the threshold. Throwing caution to the wind, she grumbles and slips outside.

No other gems in sight. Max glances back and forth, before she shuts the door behind her. The gem heads for the stairs, shoving her hands into her pockets.

She keeps an eye out for any persons, and only has to lurk around one or two corners, before she gets to the square. Early mornings are apparently rather quiet, in Little Homeworld...

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe she should go visit that greenhouse, and stand around a bunch of plants for a while? She hasn't stood close a plant for a decent amount of time, in ages. Aren't they supposed to be good for humans, or something?

A swath of purple hues catches her eye, and makes her bristle. A pack of amethyst soldiers, plus a spindly jasper, are on an intercept course. They're chatting away with each other, and don't seem to notice her yet.

Max's hackles rise. She'll need to walk right past them, to get to the greenhouse. They all seem preoccupied, so she can probably slip by undetected... but, are plants really worth the risk?

She takes a deep inhale and walks forward. She just has to keep her eyes on the door. Don't look at their faces, _just_ _keep walking—_

A cheerful, gruff voice slices through her concentration. "Hey there! You're one of the new residents, right?"

Max freezes midstep. It takes every scrap of her willpower to not wince. She looks over, one of the Amethyst smiling right at her. The quartz' companions glance over, and her pulse spikes. She can't move. " _Uhm_... yeah. That's me."

The Amethyst brightens and steps closer. "Awesome! Bismuth said there was a new lapis, but we haven't seen you around. There's this big party goin' on at the beach, and we were combing around for anyone who missed getting an invitation!"

A giant hand sets down on her shoulder, and there's nothing Max can do, as the Amethyst drags her into the little social circle. The jasper introduces herself as Skinny, and Max really wants a hole to appear under her feet. She learns the amethysts' nicknames in rapid succession, but they all go over her head. She barely gets a single word in, as they kidnap her, and drag her along to the outskirts of the settlement.

Everything blurs by at a snail's pace. The trip to Beach City proper feels like it takes forever, but Max hardly remembers any of it.

The beach is jam packed with gems and humans alike. They mingle and dance as music blares from a set of large speakers. Max stands just on the boardwalk, abanonded by her escorts. Someone put a cup of _something_ drinkable in her hand, and there isn't anywhere nearby to put it down. There's so many gems here, and the water just makes her skin crawl. She'd probably feel deathly ill, if she had organs.

Going outside was a big fucking mistake.

Max glances around for any familiar face—Bismuth, she kind of knows Bismuth, so _where is Bismuth?_ —but no one registers.

A very amethyst-ish voice sounds off from just beside her. "Yo, you gonna drink that?"

She winces and glances over, but blinks when there isn't a towering quartz next to her. Max flicks her gaze downward. A shorter, stoutly built, purple hued-gem smirks up at her, eyes on her drink.

Max holds back a grimace, and swallows. "Uh, no—I don't... drink."

The stranger nods as Max passes her the cup. "Cool," she replies, before she chugs the entire beverage, and she chomps down and consumes the entire plastic cup. "I'm Amethyst. You one of the newbies?"

She's awfully short for an Amethyst. Max stares at her for a moment, before she nods. "Uh, yeah... 'm one of the new residents."

Amethyst smirks again, uttering a brief chuckle. "Figured. I saw my sibs drag you here, and then get distracted. You don't gotta stay, if big parties ain't your thing."

Max looks away, toward the mass of bodies in the sand. Something twists and writhes inside, more of an emotion than a physical feeling. "... I ain't got nothin' better to do."

The amethyst snorts, and puts her hands on her hips. "Dude, you look like a cat in a room full of rocking ch—" she cuts herself off, and squints "... You know what a cat is, right?"

Max nods. "I lived in Empire City for like... years. I saw 'em all the time."

"Dope. Anyway, you look like that. Nervous as hell," Amethyst says, flipping her mane of hair over a shoulder. "You can split, if you really want."

Embarrassment bubbles up, and Max's cheeks flush. "I uh... I would, actually but..." her voice drops to a mumble. "I don't... I don't actually remember the way back."

She groans as Amethyst spits out a laugh, and continues to laugh. The shorter gem wheezes for a few seconds more, before she regains her composer. "Aw man, that's—" she giggles, and Max covers her face. "—That's _unfortunate._ "

Max dares to peak out between her fingers, and her face flushes brighter. "Yeah, har-har... city-gem gets lost in the country, and it's all very hilarious."

Amethyst chuckles in agreement. "So, a country bumpkin needs to help said gem find her way back home," she turns away, before motioning for Max to follow. "Come on. I'll show ya the road back."

With a heavy sigh, and no other option in sight, Max trails behind the purple gem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going outside was still a pretty big mistake.


End file.
